Effect of Socio-Economic Characteristics of Households on Housing Condition in Bauchi Metropolis, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Housing across the world has remained an indispensable phenomenon that affects every facet of humans. Its relevance is so evident that it imparts on man’s socio-physical and mental welfare irrespective of his socio-economic status, colour or creed. The correct socio-economic position is linked to people seeking inexpensive and decent housing. This study assessed the socio-economic characteristics of households and their housing condition in the Bauchi metropolis. The study adopted a quantitative approach where 380 questionnaires were administered to house hold-heads in this study. The households were sampled through stratified random sampling to generate data on their socio-economic characteristics, housing conditions, existing facilities and amenities, physical and environmental characteristics. The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics with mean ranking and ordinal regression to examine the significance of the various variables. The findings of the study revealed that socio-economic characteristics affect housing conditions in the study area. The study also revealed that compared with the medium and high-density areas where the housing situation and all basic infrastructures are fair and foul, the low-density area had its housing condition with all basic infrastructures in good condition. It was recommended that the government provide adequate social facilities as a matter of urgency, renovate the declining ones, and implement development control standards in the medium and high-density areas. Furthermore, individuals should incorporate a good maintenance culture for their property to improve housing and environmental characteristics. JEL Classification: O18